In impact printing machines, a character printing operation is performed by transferring ink from an ink ribbon onto a record media, with said ink ribbon interposed between a typefont and said record media. Similarly, erase operation is also performed by interposing an erase tape or ribbon between typefont and record media and by striking the character to be erased on top of its own print.
Subsequent to each character printing or erasing operation, the involved tape has to be moved for bringing a new portion of the ribbon to face the print position on the machine. Generally speaking, a ribbon longitudinal motion, i.e., parallel to the record media, is provided by a ribbon feed mechanism transferring said ribbon from a supply location into a take-up and store location. Upon completion of said transfer to the take-up location, the ribbon is either transferred back to the supply location and used again in a similar manner or, in most cases, replaced by a new one. The ribbon replacement operation is usually a cumbersome and time consuming one for the operator.
A first improvement to the ribbon loading situation has been made by enclosing said ribbon into a cartridge to facilitate its handling by the operator. The ribbon cartridge includes either cavities or spools for supply and take-up storage.
For the improvement to be complete, the insertion of the ribbon cartridge and its proper adjustment into the printing machine should be as simple as possible. For that purpose, the printing machine has been provided with a substantially horiziontal support plate facing the platen holding the printing medium. In known machines, the ribbon cartridge is inserted at an angle relative to the support plate. The first inserted cartridge terminal being provided with a laterally extending axis of rotation is inserted into pivotal means provided on the complementary terminal end of the support plate. The cartridge is then downwardly rotated about said pivotal means and clamped into final position on the support plate.
Angular insertion is not as convenient to the operator as a simple dropping of the cartridge onto the support plate even through it might have advantages otherwise.